A Greater War
by IRead2MuchManga99
Summary: A boy left the Southern Water Tribe and now a Master Assassin walks the earth. How will the Master Assassin and the Order itself cope when an awakened Avatar and young waterbender threaten to pull them into the Hundreds Year War? The same war they have worked so hard to stay out of as they maintain their own seemingly eternal struggle against the Templars?
1. An Assassin Returns

The Assassin luckily got a spot on a ship right before it headed out of port, the very soon to be locked down port once news of what had happened spread. The captain had welcomed him as long as he would help them on the seas. The Assassin put his climbing skills to good use, earning himself passage out of the town before anyone knew of what he had done. He relaxed in the small room he had been given. Barely big enough for the bed in it and a false wall concealing the door. He pegged the captain for a smuggler and this only confirmed his suspicions. Still his guard was up. Just because this captain did business with people who liked their comings and goings to remain unnoticed didn't mean he could be trusted. The bag of money he placed in his hand had done as much as earning him a spot on the ship as his skills did, he didn't doubt that he would be betrayed if the right price was offered. His weapons didn't leave him, adjusting them on his person to sleep semi comfortably.

The situation wasn't the worse the Master Assassin had found himself in so that was a positive. It seemed like the only one but it was something.

He should've known that the universe would see to it that it became his worse experience on a ship.

The ship slowly approached Kyoshi Island. The ship going far too slow as it approached the island. Everything about it screamed that it was under the control of a very inexperienced crew. There was no one running on the deck trying to get the crew in order though. The deck was silent except for one voice. One very angry voice.

"You guys just had to be Templars. Just couldn't be freelance. Nope had to be made up of Templars." He said with frustration obvious as he turned the wheel frantically in an attempt to steer the ship singlehandedly. The rest of the crew lying all throughout the ship. They had thought that taking out the Assassin on board would be easy if they had slipped something in his food. That would only work on an amateur. Order members had a vast understanding of poisons before they even took up the Hidden Blade. The crew unfortunately learned this the hard way after they had tried to subdue him after he was believed to have been poisoned. They were easy to take care once he took out the more experienced of their fighters.

His train of thought stopped as he looked out and saw the island getting closer and closer. He didn't truly think he could explain to Suki or Oyaji why he beached a ship on their island without bringing them back to it. One look around the deck quickly told him that was a bad idea. The bodies had already been there for longer than they should have so he had to think of another idea that would get rid of the ship and bodies in one action. He could just let it sail but it would most likely end up hitting one of the numerous islands around Kyoshi Island. That only left the option of beaching the ship because it had cargo that the island could use if the last letter he got from Suki was any indicator of how trade was drying up from the Fire Nation blockades in shipping lanes. He would have to get rid of all the bodies somehow after he managed to beach the ship.

He gripped the wheel tightly as he tried to figure out the right spot to beach the ship in the limited range he had. There was only a small section of beach that looked long enough to hold the ship…

"Die!" he heard someone yell from behind him as he heard the unmistakable sound of a sword cutting through the air as he crouched low to the ground to avoid the weapon that was aimed at him.

He saw a cutlass embed itself in the wheel and send the ship more to the left then he had wanted as he activated his Hidden Blade to fight whoever he hadn't managed to kill. His eyes landed on a group of more than half of what the crew originally was as they rushed out from below deck. Only one had thought of coming up behind him. He stabbed the first man to attack him in the stomach with one blade before using the second to slit his throat as he swiped it across. Apparently he had slacked off more than he thought if so many people were still able to stand yet alone fight. They were wounded yes but wounded was not dead. Some of the wounds even looked like they hadn't even been that serious. His teachers would never let him hear the end of it if they got word.

"Let's do this quick." He said as he set the ship back on its course without looking at the wheel. He drew his sword from his back and a dagger from his belt as he looked at the gathered sailors.

He launched himself off of where the wheel was and onto the lower part of the ship to permanently end the traitorous crew this time. And still have enough time to steer to ship on the correct course. On second thought maybe the crew could be persuaded to man the sails. Either way he had some work to do.

His blade was deadly as he fought, showing why he was a Master Assassin and had earned the rank like so many others before him. While parrying one attack he was still able to launch a throwing knife from his belt. Dodging another and he used the Hidden Bolt to send his opponent down to a knee. He never stopped moving though, not letting them close him inside a circle. He could've broken out of one but he didn't want to risk someone getting a lucky shot because someone managed to hold him inside for a few more seconds than he planned.

He led them all over the deck, all the while cutting them down one by one as he should've done earlier. His blades making short work of anyone who came at him. Never spending more than a few moments on an attacker before he was either thrown back or killed. They kept coming though, believing in some vain hope that they could strike down the Master Assassin with their amateur skill level. Believing that living life on the sea had prepared them for anything.

Part-time smugglers did not come anywhere near a Master Assassin. Their numbers meant nothing against such skill. Their few experiences fighting pirates was dwarfed by his own fighting experience.

Soon enough only a handful remained able to stand under their own power. The others strewn across the floor of the ship. The Assassin simply wiped his blade with one of his sleeves. Flicking the rest off to land at their feet in splashes.

"So," he began, using the sword as a cane almost as he looked at the huddled group of survivors. "Do the rest of you want to die?" some shook their heads while others simply stared back at him. "Well then help me get the ship to the island in one piece and I'll allow you to go free, on the lifeboats. The ship is now mine." Some opened their mouths to protest and his arm rose with his sword, pointing the deadly instrument at them. "It's either that or die here."

"That sea monster will kill us!"

"You could always sneak by it. Obviously you know you can't do the same with me." he rolled his neck, one hand gripping his sword. "Now you can either die here or maybe survive out there." He jerked his thumb towards the sea. "Which is it?"

He wasn't surprised when most threw down their arms and forced those too stubborn or prideful to initially do it to do the same.

Sailing the ship with the survivors was far easier than running around the deck trying to do everything himself with his basic knowledge of the task. He expected a few of them to try and kill him but that never came to pass. They tried to object when they saw he was beaching the ship but he quickly reminded them that it was his ship now. Their protests fell silent then. He saw them grit their teeth when the prow of the ship hit the sand. He left the wheel and strode to the front of it then. His reluctant crew looking at him with a mix of fear and anger as he passed them.

"This ship is mine. You all can still take the lifeboats. Leave anything else." He leaned back against the railing. "I recommend taking the dead. They'll be a good distraction for it. Save the wounded if you can but don't try and come back here unless you're looking to die." They hadn't moved. "I recommend you do so now. They don't take kindly to people that come to the island not going through the port."

That got them moving then. They quickly gathered up the living and the dead that laid throughout the ship, taking them to the lifeboats he had let them have. He knew they snuck out a few provisions as well but he didn't care. They didn't take anything of true value in his eyes.

They fled in several of the small boats, the Assassin walking to the back of the ship as his eyes tracked their progress. Several of them trying to hold his stare but failing miserably. He saw panic in their faces even from the growing distance between them at the form in the water. Saw them hastily dump a body in the water, saw the red stain the ocean as the body was snatched underneath. He turned away as they frantically rowed for the open sea. Hopefully the Unagi would follow them. It always followed noisy prey.

He headed towards the captain's quarters, kicking open the hastily blocked doors. It had been poorly done but able enough to keep the crew out of it when they were loading the lifeboats. He barely took in the lavish accommodations the captain lived in. Walls lined with bookcases, a rope barrier keeping their contents from spilling onto the floor in choppy waters, and expensive rugs, stained with droplets of blood. His feet carried him to the desk, noting the captain still face down in a puddle of blood. The man being the only one he had killed like so. He shoved the cold body out of the seat and onto the floor and began looking through the drawers.

Maps and reports was what he mostly found. He put them in the satchel at his side but he kept searching. The necklace he had snatched from the man proved that there was more though. The Templar Cross always promised something else. He was surprised he hadn't noticed it when he has first booked passage on the ship. It should've been a dead giveaway but he was in a rush and the cross had been buried beneath the captain's clothes. His fingers ran beneath the desk, looking for something to open a hidden compartment. They came away with nothing and he trailed a knocking fist down each side of the desk, looking for a hollow place in the solid wood.

He found it. He stepped back and took a borrowed hatchet to the desk. He made a hole large enough to get his hands into and pried off the wood with no small amount of force. He carefully looked for anything in the new hole. He smiled as his hand brushed against something and pulled it out. The most valuable treasure on the ship was now in his hands. The Templar Cross on the scroll was more than enough for him to know that it was valuable. It went into the satchel at his side. He went back into the newly made hole and pulled out scrolls and parchments. He hoped one would be the key to decipher whatever was within the messages but he trusted that it could be done eventually without one.

A few more scrolls and a few more documents he was moving on from the desk. Snatching the necklace from the captain's body he went in search of more. Knocking books and logs to the floor, pausing only to flip through some of them, shaking pages hoping for something of note to fall out. His search continued. Pressing the necklace into places, hoping something would reveal itself. He even searched the captain's body again. Looking for a key to whatever else might've been locked away on the ship.

The cross broke in half to reveal a key.

The captain's cabin was soon an absolute mess. Papers and books strewn about the floor from the Assassin's search. Still he looked on. His gut screamed that there was something here. Something he could use. He started throwing the rugs that covered the floor onto the deck, looking for a hatch. The bookcases were next if he didn't find anything hidden underneath the floor.

"Bingo." The Assassin said as he came across a covered hatch.

The key was finally put to use as he opened it and grabbed a lantern hanging behind the captain's desk. He drew a dagger from his belt and quickly but cautiously went down the steps, his eyes scanning the darkness. His normal vision useless to him past his small boundary of light. He activated the Sixth Sense and looked around. His new vision showing him nothing that posed a threat to his person. Still he carried on cautiously, not trusting that the captain hadn't rigged any traps in the room, the boat seemed to be Templar made for a Templar captain. He slowly lit a nearby torch and relaxed as several others sparked to life as well, lighting the hidden room. He hung the lantern on a nearby hook and crept on. The room was small but packed, crates littered the floor and scrolls lined the wall. He circled the room several times before rising back into the captain's cabin and shutting the trap door behind him. The Assassin spared the captain's body a glance before leaving the room and returning to the deck. His search has taken a few hours it seemed. The thought crossed his mind as his eyes took in the setting sun, and the new arrivals on the deck.

It was seven against one but he doubted that was it. There was probably more in the tree line, invisible to someone not already searching for them. His hands rose to his side as he walked forward, undeterred by them. The Kyoshi Warriors simply looked on with impassive faces, the look aided by the makeup they wore. He looked behind him and sure enough there was a group of them watching him from above as well.

"Do we have to do this every time I show up with a beached ship?" he smiled and several of them brought a hand up to muffle their laughter before they were silenced by a single raised hand from their leader.

"It's sad that this is a common thing for us Sokka." She stepped forward, eyeing the bag at his side as her hand rested on the katana as her side. "I probably shouldn't even ask for an excuse."

"I'd love to talk but this ship needs to be looked over by the others before anyone else notices it." Sokka's eyes turned back to the sky. "It's definitely been a while and anyone walking the beach could've noticed it."

"You still owe me an explanation but I'll just get it later." She turned around and motioned to her warriors who promptly left without another word. Sokka still didn't have their hand signals down.

"I promise but I need to get others to comb over the ship. It's a decent haul."

"I'm sure." She turned around and started walking towards the edge of the ship. "I know a shortcut back from here."

"Thanks Suki."

"Thank me later Sokka."

Kyoshi Warrior and Master Assassin quickly dropped to the beach and vanished into the tree line, one following the other in the quickly darkening forest.

* * *

 **AN: Hopefully you enjoyed this and found it interesting instead of terrible. Any type of feedback is helpful and any questions are free to be asked either in a pm or a review. Please let me know about any mistakes or if something just doesn't seem to flow right.**


	2. The Calm

**AN: Enjoy.**

* * *

The light spilling through the open curtains was what finally woke him up. He already knew who had opened them because only one person could ever sneak into his room without waking him up. Figuring he had slept enough and knowing that going back to sleep wasn't going to happen, he sat up in bed and stood up to see his robes folded neatly on the dresser across the room along with a more regular set of clothes. He opted to wear the clothes that would match up more with the residents of Kyoshi Island instead of his usual robes. He dressed quickly as he always had and left his home.

He could instantly see the statue of Avatar Kyoshi when he stepped out his house. The village hadn't fully woken up yet and the first rays of dawn had only awoken him because it had been what he was accustomed to. The early morning light provided him with enough light to move throughout the village without bumping into anything. He wanted to walk and seemingly disappear into the shadows that the buildings were still casting but fought the instinct and remained on the main road of the village. He would've felt exposed in any other situation but he knew that no one would attack him on the island. Well a native knew better than to do so. A traveler would just see him as someone from the Water Tribes who was a long way from home. That way of thinking had sent many people to one of the island's healers with a new lesson learned along with the information of how far an arm could be bent before it broke.

Sokka was in no rush though, his feet carried him aimlessly through the village during the first few minutes of his walk. He held himself accountable to very few on the island and it was highly unlikely any Assassin would be at the Bureau before him. He had enough time to appreciate the peace that was present only during the early morning hours.

He couldn't say he was looking forward to looking through all the information they had gained from the ship either. Assassins had been working once he had gotten back to bring anything of note he had passed over back. He knew he had a mountain of scrolls and books to sort through so he took his time.

* * *

Sokka leaned back in his chair as he put his feet on his desk. He would usually be slacking is his work right now until Shin or someone else arrived but the last letter he read had him thinking more than anything else. It was on the top of the pile on his desk and seemed urgent. It was more interesting in his eyes. Very interesting.

Apparently the Assassin agents had found something of interest that stemmed from a bright light they saw close to the South Pole. No more reports had come in about it possibly being a Piece of Eden or some strange phenomenon though. The last reports had been of a small Fire Nation ship heading towards wherever the light originated from. The scouts didn't report if the ship had reached its destination or was the recon of a larger invasion force. Sokka doubted it was an invasion force though. The South Pole had been crippled in the early days of the war. They could only use guerrilla warfare now. The chance of a force large enough for the Fire Nation to send in an invasion fleet was slim to none. Besides he knew most of the warriors were defending the waterways and coast of the Earth Kingdom. He and a few others had confirmed the intel on the Mentor's orders. One of the nearby hawks chose that moment to let out a squawk and pull him from his thoughts.

Sokka turned his eyes towards the door to his office and his ears picked up the sound of the front door opening. Sokka smiled as he brought his hands to his mouth.

"Shin." Sokka said as he brought his chair back to being leveled with the floor with a thump. "Get in here."

It was little chance his second wasn't the one who had come in the Bureau and soon enough Sokka was proven right. The Assassin, a Kyoshi Island native with a hint of water tribe in him if the blue eyes were any clue, appeared in a few moments to witness Sokka getting out of his chair and moving over to where his office overlooked the training yard.

"What do you need Master Sokka?" Shin asked as he crossed his arm over his chest in a sign of respect to a superior.

"I need you to keep you ears open to any news about this thing in the South Pole." Sokka got right to the point as usual, his eyes still fixed on the training yard and a few Assassins going through a few warm up exercises. It looked like he was lost in thought longer then he had realized.

"Doesn't that fall under one of the groups further south sir?" Shin asked with curiosity in his tone.

"I'm taking a special interest in this. Just keep me informed of anything you're able to gather." Sokka held back a grimace as he saw a pair of Assassins sparring against each other, obviously still half asleep if their sluggish moves were anything to go by.

"I'll see to it then." Shin turned to leave.

"And get everyone into the training yard."

"And why is that?" Shin came to stand alongside Sokka and shared his view of the training yard, seeing nothing wrong with the Assassin's early morning training.

"Because I'm a good leader who wants the best from my Assassins."

"And?" Shin questioned already knowing everything Sokka usually had more than one motive. He had a record holder at one with more than a dozen that Shin couldn't believe until he had seen it himself.

"And I want to get some practice in myself. My last few missions have seen very little swordplay in any of them. Last mission was almost a complete stealth one. I was a bit too sloppy on the return trip. Could hardly keep anyone down and if they had been even decently trained I don't think I would be standing here right now." Sokka looked at Shin over his shoulder with a regretful smile on his face. "So how close do you think they were to getting me?"

"I'm sure that wouldn't have happen." Shin avoided Sokka's second question even though he knew the stubborn Master Assassin wouldn't give up so easily.

"But you can imagine it can't you. The record setting Master Assassin cut down by a guy he thought was dead. It would probably serve as a decent lesson to someone at least." Sokka laughed at that as his gaze returned to the training yard. "That would be something."

"I believe you could teach anyone better than the memory of yourself could. The spirits know that your ego alone in any such situation would somehow bring you back to the world of the living." Shin glanced at Sokka's heavily cluttered desk. "And dealing with you for one life is more than enough for me."

"Admit that you would go mad without me."

"I think it would be the extreme side of the opposite."

"Didn't I give an order already anyway?"

"I'll see to it Master Sokka."

"And make sure you ready yourself." Sokka smiled as he spoke the next part. "You'll be the first one I'll evaluate."

"It'll be an honor Master Sokka." Shin called over his shoulder.

* * *

Sokka leaned on his sheathed sword as one would lean on a cane. A smile on his face as bruises decorated the bodies of his fellow Assassins. Several winced when their hands ran across a particularly bad bruise and Sokka almost felt sympathy for them.

Almost was the key word.

It quickly disappeared. He had fought them with his sword still in its sheath. The added weight and the removal of any fatal danger were worth it to avoid having to use a practice sword. He hated how most of them felt. He would need to place an order for new ones from somewhere.

Still his Assassins had never stood a chance against him. His instructors had always called him gifted with the sword and he had always tried to keep the praise form going to his head. Seeing the bruised and groaning Assassins in the courtyard made all the work he had done suppressing the praise worthless as he couldn't help but marvel at his own skill. He was about to call for another round when his second in command returned.

"Master Sokka." Shin, far better off than the other Assassins from his own daily practice, got Sokka's attention and his head turned to look at his second in command. "You have a guest in your study."

"I do?" Sokka didn't remember scheduling any meeting, especially so soon after returning.

"She's _quite_ insistent sir." Shin smiled as he said the words and Sokka felt something was off. "Said she's here for her explanation."

It took a moment for everything to come to place in Sokka's mind and when it did he was grabbing his shirt and heading back inside the Bureau. Several Assassins made cracking noises while several others laughed as he rushed inside and he looked over his shoulder at them. They quickly fell silent before he even spoke.

"Pair up and keep practicing! I'll be able to see if you're slouching. Shin supervise them."

"At once Master Sokka." Shin bowed his head to the Master Assassin and turned to face the other Assassins. "All of you pair up and find some space to practice."

Groans rose from the gathered Assassins as they begrudgingly obeyed the order and began sparring with one another.

* * *

Sokka was pulling his shirt over his head when he came into his office and held his sheathed sword in one hand as he put the other through a sleeve.

"I liked the view in the practice yard so much better." a humor filled voice said from his office and Sokka sighed.

"So that's why I kept shivering like a saber-toothed moose lion was stalking me." he finished getting into his clothes and saw her sitting on the desk with one leg lazily swinging back and forth while the other was resting on the desk. She had been fanning herself with one of her battle fans and lowered it as he entered. He still eyed the disguised weapon warily. He had seen her use it with deadly accuracy time and time again.

"I think it could be fun if I chased you." she brought her fan up to cover the bottom of her face and looked over it at him, her face paint combined with the predatory look in her eyes would have frozen anyone else in place where they stood but Sokka walked forward undeterred.

"Once is enough." He said as he tossed his sheathed sword on the desk and sat in his chair. Throwing a quick look over his shoulder at the training yard to make sure his orders were being followed. He saw Shin use a stick to hit an Assassin in the leg and say something to him before continuing to the next pair.

"Are you trying to work them into the ground?" Suki asked as she nodded her head towards the yard.

"Just a little." Sokka spoke as he turned back to her. "Now why are you on my desk."

"Well I was thinking about yesterday and decided you have some explaining to do." She closed her fan and placed it back in her belt as she rested her head in her hands. "Now get talking and don't leave anything out."

"Maybe it was all part of my genius plan." A shrug accompanied his words and she sighed before not so gently using her fan to hit the top of his head.

"Now start talking." Her eyes loss some of the playfulness that was usually in them when she spoke to him and Sokka found himself launching into the full explanation.

He started at his departure and only glossed over the hunt for the target before she had heard similar stories far too often and he doubted she didn't already have an idea on what he did. Actually killing the target and the subsequent escape from the not high alert facility were told in snippets and he quickly got to the most interesting part of the story. His escape to the port and securing passage on the ship.

"I admit I was in a hurry when I walked into the tavern. I had barely gotten any sleep over the last few days and wasn't as careful as I should have been."

"That's something I would've liked to see." Suki interrupted him and he glared at her.

"You wanted to hear the story, remember?"

"Oh go on then." She leaned back on her elbows and turned her head to look at him.

"Well the ship was the only one I could find on such short notice and they had a place for me to hide while they searched the ship. This wasn't the first time they had smuggled someone out and I thought they were an ally." Sokka's hands balled into fists at anger for his own recklessness and Suki laid her own over them before he continued. "Well everything was fine until they tried to drug me. I had been eating my own rations in my room when they kept insisting I come and eat with them. I wasn't a green fool so after they kept asking me even after I kept saying no I finally caved just to see what their plan was. I couldn't fight them if they rushed me in my little stowaway corner and had a better chance of coming out on top if I had more room to move. They were a bit too friendly to me and I never touched anything on my plate. The only time I ate was when I was already chewing on an herb that could counteract most poisons and I was glad I did. I acted sluggish and blamed it on drinking too much before heading back to my bed and rejected any offers of help. It was easy enough to hide close to it and I waited for them to come for me. They thought I would be too weak to fight and they paid for that. The three that came to get me I'm sure I killed. Blade through the back of the throat for two of them and a dagger through the back and into the heart for the last of the trio. A couple smoke bombs later and I was pretty sure I had won the fight. I took a random guess on what way the island was and hoped for the best."

"So you were right about one thing and completely wrong about the other."

"Yeah. I got the island right but everyone being dead not so much. They tried to take back their ship when I was close and well we both know how that ended."

"Think they'll be back for you?" she asked, already thinking of ways to fight them off if they did.

"No way. The Unagi would've taken care of them before they made it out to sea."

Sokka leaned himself back in his seat and put his arms behind his head, with his story finished and his full intention on relaxing now. Suki had other ideas.

Just as he was closing his eyes to rest, she pounced.

"Suki!" Sokka barely had time to let out a startled yelp before his chair and he both fell to the floor with the Kyoshi Warrior landing on top of him and his head only barely avoiding a nasty collision with the floor. Sokka only barely managed to get himself completely out the chair before the warrior was straddling him and he could only stare at her in surprise.

"That was a nice story." She looked down at him with a smile. "And that was fun."

"Well for you it was. Not so much for me." Sokka began struggling to get free but she shook her head at his attempts and pinned his shoulders down with her hands.

"Don't spoil it already." Suki had the same smile as she leaned down and whispered in his ear. "I kind of like this."

She didn't let him say anything else before she was kissing him and all thought of struggle left the Assassin's mind, replaced by the barrage of feelings only the Kyoshi Warrior could bring him. She broke for air but Sokka pulled her back down with a yelp of surprise emerging from the warrior's lips and Sokka grinned at it.

"You're right, this is fun."

She pulled on his growing wolf tail in response and he let out his own shout of surprise.

"Told you."

* * *

 **AN: And second chapter down. Not as much action in this one but not every chapter can be action packed.**

 **Hope you enjoyed and any type of comment, question, or whatever else whether in review form or a pm is always appreciated.**


	3. The Storm

**AN: Enjoy.**

* * *

Sokka had had a single week of relaxation before the universe reared its ugly head. He would curse the universe now if he wasn't cursing everything around him.

Sokka dodged right as the man's sword struck where he had been only a few seconds ago. He sent his arm forward and his hidden blade ended the man's life before he could try for another strike. A second man ran at him with a large ax and Sokka was forced to roll out of the way of the powerful blow. He moved to cut the handle of the weapon in half but found it to be reinforced. He knew the man could see the surprise on his face that his sword hadn't managed to cut through the handle as he smirked before throwing Sokka away with all of his strength. He hit the ground but was already moving as he rolled to the side to avoid the ax that came down where he would have been if he had only wasted a single second more. The man gritted his teeth in frustration as he pried his ax from the ground and began to put all his power and speed into his blows. Sokka was forced to stay on the defensive as the man's attacks were too strong to block and he was obviously a master of his weapon by how he wasn't stumbling around like some drunk with every swing of the rather large ax in his hands.

Sokka felt his back hit something and the ax bearer wasted no time in acting on his lapse of awareness and with a powerful overhead strike the ax was on its way to cleave Sokka in half.

Sokka didn't freeze up though and instead with a sharp instinct he could only get from battle he finally saw his opportunity. He launched himself from where he was at the man's midsection and tackled him down to the ground. The man's ax flew from his hands as Sokka barreled into him. Sokka stabbed his hidden blade into the man's chest but the man grabbed his wrist as his hidden blade was just breaking the skin. He threw Sokka off of him and looked around for his weapon for only a moment before finding it. Sokka though had already recovered and threw a knife as he saw the hand reaching for the weapon. The man grimaced in pain at the knife in his hand but Sokka quickly found out that it didn't slow him down in the slightest as his uninjured hand formed a fist and knocked the wind out of him with a solid blow to the gut. Sokka staggered back from the blow, taking deep breaths trying to get air back into him, as the man's hand gripped the ax and swung it in an arc at Sokka. A desperate dive to the side later was his only option but he felt the weapon slice through his skin as he still barely avoided the blow.

Sokka's hand touched the wound and he looked at his bloody fingers to confirm what he already knew, there was blood but not enough to take him out of this fight or impair him, well as much as a wound like that could. A glance at the man showed him to be nursing the hand that Sokka's knife had hit after pulling it out. A quick tear of his clothes later and he had a makeshift bandage on his hand.

This one was lasting longer than most of his opponents. It really looked like he was losing his deadly edge. He needed more training. His eyes looked for his own sword and he saw it by what his back had hit against earlier. In his rush to avoid being cleaved in two he had been forced to abandon his sword. He could reach the sword though so he could live with himself. The man seem to follow his eyes and knew that it was time to press the attack as he charged Sokka to keep him from getting his sword back.

Sokka cursed as he dived for the blade and would have to attempt to block any swings that came his way once he got it. This fight would end in his opponents favor otherwise.

His hand grasped around the handle of the sword as he quickly rolled over to bring it up to defend himself. The man's ax raced towards him as he had second thoughts and moved away from the large weapon bearing down on him. The man's ax landed in the ground and Sokka placed his foot on the handle to keep it there as he stabbed his sword into the man's chest before following it up with both hidden blades as he fell towards him. He stabbed both blades into the man's chest until he saw the blood was beginning to cover his clothes before finally stopping. He flung the man's body off of him as he looked around the pier. Things looked to be in his sides favor for the time being with the Assassins being able to gain ground on their enemies. He took the respite to rest a little and get his breath back, the downtime being more than enough for his mind to drift to why all this had happened in the first place.

The Templar agents he now regretted not killing himself had somehow survived their journey long enough to be picked up by a ship and apparently they became fast friends as both groups launched an attack on the island for him. The Unagi apparently didn't take care of the Templar filled lifeboats nor had it been able to take out the ship for one reason or the other, hopefully occupied elsewhere but knowing his luck it was probably something ridiculous.

'This has gone on long enough, about time to end this anyway.' Sokka thought to himself as he pulled out a handful of smoke bombs from a pouch on his person. A low whistle came from his mouth and Assassins broke off from their fights, several mimicking him and reaching for smoke bombs as well. Their opponents looked at them in curiosity, then they were blinded by the smoke.

His vision changed to distinguish friend from foe as he tossed them all around the pier. The smoke didn't affect him and the other Assassisn as they had trained in conditions like this. Their opponents hadn't though. They began to cough and stagger around in the vision obscuring smoke cloud. The Assassins used this to their advantage as they moved through the smoke cloud. The incapacitated men easily fell to their blades without being aware of their killer's presence before it was too late. Before the smoke had even left only a small batch of Templars and their new friends remained as they huddled together in a rough semicircle. Sokka and the other Assassins stalked towards them with their hooded faces and their blood covered forms giving them a truly menacing appearance to the remaining men in front of them. A single nod was passed between the Assassins as their targets were chosen.

Sokka wasted no time as he easily evaded the few remaining men's attacks as he rushed towards the captain of the ship. His fellow Assassins took them down as he buried his hidden blades in the captain's chest with practiced ease, perhaps a bit more brutal than necessary. But his vacation had been interrupted.

He was rightly angered because his plans to relax had been stopped by the Unagi not doing its one job. For all the times it could've slacked off this was not one of them. He was just glad that the Assassins had been able to meet the crew instead of the Kyoshi Warriors. The less they knew about the fight the better and the less angry Suki was the better for his health. The Assassins had only lost 2 people out of the twenty stationed on the island right now. They had practically caused their own deaths when they had recklessly charged on to the ship despite orders to lay in wait. They were rookies and let the praise from their teachers in spars get to their heads. Sokka wondered how they were cleared to even leave training. They had rushed into the fight without his permission and Sokka would've seen them shipped back to their teachers at the fights conclusion if they had lived. He ordered for the bodies to be brought back to the Bureau and prepared for burning anyway. He would see to them later on but right now he had more pressing matters before him.

The Assassins broke into 2 teams. One scoured the ship for any useful information while the second busied themselves in moving the bodies onto the ship. Both teams came together in setting it on fire and forcing it out into the sea. Sokka no longer trusted the Unagi to handle a ship and the fire would ensure a wreckage that would sink to the bottom of the sea.

"Go and rest brother. I'll see to the rest." Shin said as he placed a hand on Sokka's shoulder. "You have already done enough."

"I could sleep easier if I didn't have to worry about being woken up for stuff like this."

"Rest. I will see to all of this."

"Can you do me a favor and bring their weapons to the Bureau? I want to look at one of them."

"Why does a weapon besides your own hold your interest?" Shin asked.

"It's an ax really. It blocked my sword and I think you know that makes this weapon not normal and all of this may be more than we thought it was. I need to see what it's made out of, maybe it could give us a clue on who was behind the attack."

"We already know it was the Templars from your ship and their rescuers." Sokka narrowed his eyes at Shin who wisely chose his next words. "Nevertheless I will see to it. Now go and rest."

The two Assassins gripped each other's forearms and Sokka headed back for the village. He was tired and was only barely standing now with the rush of battle leaving his system. He grimaced as he remembered his wounds and realized that he was going to have to do something about them before getting any rest. He was sure he had basic first aid equipment at his house though. This gash on his chest would take some time to deal with though.

* * *

Many Kyoshi Warriors would tell stories about their time as one to new recruits in the first few weeks of training. The tales for two warriors was rarely the same. Even the warriors a part of the same group would have different versions of the same story. But the stories that Suki's group was going to be able to tell were truly in a league of their own. From their first meeting with Assassins, helping Sokka lose Templar tails, and now escorting the apparent Avatar to Oyaji. Yeah these were going to be really unique stories to say the least.

The person in question had dressed himself back in his monk clothes from when they had found him on the coast in just his underwear. The girl with him however seemed to be from the Water Tribe and the likelihood of them being from the reclusive Northern Water Tribe was slim to none. The more open Southern Water Tribe was much more likely to be their home.

'I wonder if Sokka knows who she is?' Suki thought to herself as she brought her warriors to a halt in front of the town hall.

"You two go and get Oyaji." She said and two warriors behind her moved into the building. She turned around to look at their prisoners, at least until further notice, and rested a hand on her katana as her gaze shifted from one to another. The supposed Avatar looked like he was going to burst from being as lightly confined as he was and Suki saw how anxious he was.

The Water Tribe girl was different though. She seemed friendly enough on the outside but Suki had long ago learned to stop forming her opinions at a single glance. Sokka was proof enough of that. On the outside he was usually serious but humor was always just below the surface in most cases. Underneath that though he was a killer of the highest caliber. She had heard stories from his Assassins of his missions in the order and just what exactly he was. Many of them thought Sokka was the next legend in the making, he was already the youngest Master Assassin in history. She couldn't remember the name of the person whose record he supposedly shattered but she could only remember the name feeling odd on her tongue. Sokka had laughed when she had tried to pronounce it and she had laughed after she had left him speechless.

Suki shook her head to clear her thoughts as her eyes left the girl and to the area around her warriors.

They had gathered a crowd of curious people as they made their way through the village with outsiders as usual. The crowd had expanded to include most of the village as people began to whisper rumors on who both people were or could be. Rumors that got the attention of a certain Assassin as he was heading home. He decided to investigate the rumors after he did something about his wounds instead of being forced to deal with them now.

The 2 Kyoshi Warriors who had left to get Oyaji soon returned with the man following them outside. He looked over both outsiders with a careful eye as he was trying to place their features in his mind to any faces he knew. The girl rang a few bells in his mind but the boy was a mystery.

"Speak your names and why you are here on Kyoshi Island." Oyaji demanded as he came down the steps to stand in front of them with his arms crossed and a stern look on his face. The aura and authority of a leader was radiating from him. This was his village and his people. They trusted him to lead them and he vowed to never let down people that trusted him. Never again. The monk was the first to gather the courage to speak up.

"Well I'm Aang and we came here so I could ride the elephant koi."

"You seemed to have done more than that. The warriors told me that you disturbed the Unagi. This island's protector. Makes it more likely that you are spies of some kind or another sent to find a weakness in our defense." Oyaji's eyes searched the two for any weapons or for places where they could hide weapons or intel. He didn't miss the Water Tribe girl balling her fists at her side before she angrily stepped forward. Suki partially drew her katana from her position in front of the village leader and Katara stopped in her tracks before Oyaji waved the warrior down. He didn't need the girl dead before they could prove anything on way or the other.

"Me and Aang aren't spies for the Fire Nation!" there was still a note of anger in the girl's voice and Oyaji chose to move on from that line of questioning.

"And you are." He asked in a more neutral tone than before.

"My name's Katara and we would never spy on anyone for those monsters." The girl was still angry at the remark it seemed.

"I have no reason to believe otherwise. So what proof do you have to support your claim?" Oyaji questioned with his eyes appraising the girl. He could see her straighten her posture as she turned to look at her companion.

"Aang's the Avatar he would never do something as evil as spying for the Fire Nation."

Eyes widened at Katara's bold claim as all eyes went to Aang for some proof as Oyaji's booming laughter stopped silence from completely reigning after Katara's claim.

"I'll admit that it's the first time that someone has used that as an excuse. The Avatar was a master Airbender and hasn't been seen in over a hundred years. This boy doesn't look anywhere close to a hundred. He doesn't even look like he's 15."

"He's 12 and he is the Avatar." Her eyes turned to look at her companion and quietly she said her next words. "Show him Aang. Show him you're the Avatar."

Aang hesitated for only a second before he used Airbending to leap into the air and an air scooter formed underneath him to keep him hovering above the ground.

'Well I'll be damned.' Oyaji thought to himself as he saw Aang's display before he motioned for the warriors to step away from them both. 'This just got far more complicated.'

"Go do me a favor and tell Sokka to come to my office as soon as possible." He whispered to Suki before turning back to the newly freed Katara and Aang. "Would you two please follow me into my office for tea and my sincerest apologies for suspecting you as spies?"

"Of course." Katara said as she followed the man into the town hall with Aang following after her. Oyaji made a note to himself on how it looked like the Avatar followed Katara instead of the other way around.

* * *

Sokka sighed as he finally finished wrapping his wounds with a bandage. The stitching had been tricky but one of the few mirrors he owned finally came in handy. His order robes were already drying nearby after he had been forced to wash the blood from them for the second time this week and he was in attire more appropriate on the island for the meantime. He cursed when he heard the sound of someone knocking on his door as he was heading to his bed.

The door was flung open without any further notice and he wasn't as surprised as he should have been when he saw Suki at his doorstep. It was a testament to how many times this had happened that Suki's facial expression didn't change at Sokka's shirtless form.

"Whatever it is can it wait until morning?" Sokka motioned to his freshly bandaged chest and abdomen for support to his side of the argument.

"I don't think anyone can drink tea for that long so no." She said after pretending to ponder the question for a moment.

"What if it's really good tea?" Sokka somehow kept a straight-face when asking. "Prepared by the tea spirits themselves for the guest of honor."

"Are we really doing this?" Suki's agitation was growing even if her humor at the situation was doing the same.

"Okay, okay. Just give me a few minutes." He would rather not push his luck.

Sokka walked back to his room to come out with a shirt that was slightly stained from the bloody bandages beneath. Suki either didn't notice or ignored it as she started towards Oyaji's office with Sokka falling into step beside her. It wasn't that he didn't know the way to Oyaji's office it was just that it gave him a chance to get any information he could from Suki.

"So why does he need me?"

"We found some strangers on the beach who are interesting. To say the least."

"Alright you have me. How?"

"One's a girl from the Southern Water Tribe and the other claims to be the long lost Avatar."

"You got any names for them then. It's been a while since I've been home but I might still recognize the name of the girl. The Avatar though is something even I don't know. I'm pretty sure even the Order thinks him dead unless he's some type of immortal hermit."

"Katara and Aang. Aang's the one claiming to be the Avatar."

Suki realized she had said the last part to no one as Sokka had already taken off in a dead sprint to reach the town hall as he avoided anything that couldn't be shoved out of his way. She didn't bother thinking of why saying 'Katara' had sent him in a dead sprint as she was more likely to anger herself than anything else. This simply had to be more of Sokka's pass he hadn't shared with her. She quickly followed him and watched as he scaled the outside of the town hall with practiced ease before disappearing from her view as he made his way to the side of the building Oyaji's office was on. Suki decided to take the normal way to the office as opposed to scaling the outside of the building.

Frankly Assassins had their way of travel and she had hers, a much more normal way.

* * *

Sokka entered the office with practiced ease and barely any noise as he fell into the shadows by the window after motioning Oyaji to keep his presence a secret. He couldn't afford to be seen. His emotions had taken control of him and he had almost jumped into the room. His training taught him better though and he was hidden in the room from the two visitors as he waited for a chance to glimpse their faces. He didn't seem to have alerted them to his presence when he had come in and gave himself a mental pat on the back for it.

"Well I think we can call this meeting over with. I'll see you both to somewhere to rest tonight if you give me a moment." Oyaji said as he stood up and motioned towards the door.

"Of course. We'll be right outside."

When the two stood up to leave all the doubt that Sokka had been holding onto disappeared as he saw the face of his sister and an Air Nomad. As soon as the door shut behind them Sokka was up and striding over to Oyaji's desk.

"Can you explain why they are here?" he said as he slammed both of his hands on Oyaji's desk after glancing at the door. Oyaji didn't even flinch at the action as he instead set the ink well he had grabbed back on the desk before speaking.

"Apparently your village is fine but he is the Avatar. Katara has even witnessed him in the Avatar State if what I'm told is to be believed. She had some fear of him in her eyes. It was hidden but I could tell."

Sokka eased off of Oyaji's desk and turned to pace the room instead. Oyaji's eyes followed him as he walked back and forth in front of his desk.

"You never should've left the Order. We could still use you."

"I'm much too old for that and would rather spend the rest of my days in peace." Oyaji said as he held his hands out.

"This complicates things though. I can't just leave right now. And they aren't the sort I peg to get in and out of places cleanly." Sokka settled himself in the couch at the wall of the office.

"Maybe it's a sign for you to see her again Sokka. It's been more than a while since you've seen her."

"I know that but I can't."

"Why? You've never answered the question before and I respected that. But she's out there right now and all you have to do is open that door!"

"I can't. The moment I meet her again is when I put her in danger. There's a reason that we devote ourselves to the Order Oyaji. I thought you knew that more than anyone. What we stand to lose in our fight could all be jeopardized by someone close getting dragged in! We are this efficient now because the Order is our life and nothing interferes with our duty. The moment I meet her she's dragged into this war and she will be killed. I'd rather not have the blood of my family on my hands unlike yours." Oyaji didn't let anything show but Sokka had known what he had said had gotten to Oyaji. He would regret it later on but right now he was angry.

With his piece said Sokka turned around, looking to exit the room to a similar manner to his entrance. Taking the main way out would only lead to him running into the two and he did not want that meeting to happen anytime soon.

"I hope you are making the right decision for you Sokka and not for the Order."

Sokka paused at the window to look back at Oyaji. He seemed to be weighing whether he should answer the question or not and Oyaji could see his warring thoughts on his face. He might've hid them from nearly anyone else but the man excelled at reading people. Sokka didn't answer the question in the end. Instead choosing to climb through the window and disappear into the night. He figured by the sigh he heard coming from the man that he already knew the answer to his own question. Everything an Assassin did was for the Order.

At least that was what he told himself.

* * *

 **AN: Alright another one down.**

 **Questions? Comments? PM me or leave a review.**


End file.
